Page 46 of For the Love of the Bull Rider

Matt held the condom as his fat cock slipped out of his lover’s body. He settled it on his thigh so as not to disrupt the discussion it seemed Tim wanted to have as he relaxed on his side. “Okay, baby, tell me what’s goin’ on.”

Tim sat up and reached forward, carefully removing the condom. “I’ll be back.”

Taking advantage of the absence to grab a tissue and wipe up the residue, Matt thought about how to explain his visit to El Paso. The things about Bertie, Mona, and the Colonel. He regretted not telling Tim about the trip sooner and the reason for it in the first place, but until he had a handle on things, he didn’t want to worry the man he loved.

He rose from the bed because he needed to relieve himself, and as Matt approached the bathroom, he heard Tim talking. “You can do this. It won’t matter. You’ve got to be honest.”

Matt’s heart sunk in his chest—Tim had met someone, and he’d either had an encounter with the guy or he wanted to.

The hallway bathroom across from Ryan’s bedroom was empty, so Matt went there to piss. After, he grabbed a washcloth to clean himself before he turned off the light and walked back to the master bedroom. He crawled into the bed and pulled up the covers over his waist, waiting for Tim to return from his prolonged trip to the ensuite.

Tim walked into the bedroom, flipping off the light, and Matt could see the worry on his face. “You already cleaned up?” Tim gave him a fake smile.

Matt nodded and flipped back the covers, having turned off the bedside light. The full moon lit the bedroom so they could see each other. When the smaller man climbed in, Matt pulled him into his chest and looked into his gorgeous hazel eyes. “I love you, Timmy. You should know you can tell me anything.”

He hoped to hell it was the opening to hear what had happened because he was really prepared to forgive anything the man told him. The two of them hadn’tformallyagreed they’d be exclusive before Matt took off for El Paso, so if Tim had gone out with someone else, Matt knew he didn’t really have a leg to protest on because he hadn’t taken the step to solidify the relationship.

His lover was entitled to go out with someone else. If Tim had gone out with another man but it wasn’t serious, Matt would make certain to take the steps to make them exclusive, so it didn’t happen again.

Tim cleared his throat and looked into Matt’s eyes. “Okay. Now, uh, this shouldn’t become a big deal between us, okay? I mean, we love each other, right?”

Matt nodded.

“So, um, if I was to tell you about something that happened to me… which I didn’t expect at all… you’d withhold judgment until we could discuss it and how we think it might impact our relationship?” Tim’s was clearly worried. Once again, Matt nodded, feeling his gut clench.

Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer. “You’re killin’ me, baby. Please tell me what happened.” He truly loved Timothy Moran with everything inside him. In his mind, there wasn’t anything that would be a deal breaker. He just needed to hear the truth.

“The blonde woman you heard about coming to the Katydid is my new lawyer, Ronni Turnberry. She came by to explain to me about my grandmother, Joanne Moran, leaving me some money in a trust, along with a few properties. I don’t want it to come between us, Matty. You mean more to me than the money, and I’ll give it all away if it bothers you.” The tone of Tim’s voice told Matt the man meant every word he said.

Matt was a little confused. “Joanne Moran? I’m sorry, baby, but I don’t know what you mean.”

He listened to a short explanation of the hierarchy of Tim’s family, so far as it included his grandmother, a mean bitch, as Tim described her. “Okay, so she left ya some money. That’s not a bad thing, sweetheart.Yourmoney isyourmoney. Not a big deal.”

Tim cleared his throat. “She left me five million dollars, Matty. I’m not sure…”

Matt sat up and looked at the gorgeous man in front of him. He pulled Tim into his body and laughed. “You’re worried about how I’d take the money? I mean, I won’ttakethe money, but good for you, baby. You’re a rich man.” Matt showered kisses over Tim’s face, happy the secret wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d speculated.

Tim pulled away and placed his hands on both sides of Matt’s face, studying him carefully. “I know you won’t take my money, but I don’t want it to come between us. It won’t change anything between us, alright? I love you and you love me, end of story. Now, I want to know why you went to El Paso.”

Matt’s gut clenched because it was definitely the wrong time to discuss the situation about Ryan. He knew for a fact Tim would try to give him money to hire attorneys and private investigators and whatever else was necessary, but he wasn’t going to accept it. “You wore me out, baby. Let’s talk about it in the mornin’, okay?”

With that, the two of them settled into bed together. Tim nestled into his chest and fell asleep, but Matt knew he wouldn’t sleep for a while. On one hand, he was happy for Tim because he believed the guy deserved the best after everything, especially with the shit hand he’d been dealt with losing his folks the way he did.

On the other hand, Matt’s problems with Bertie and Mona would spur Tim to action and if necessary, Tim would give them all the money he’d just inherited to go away. It wasn’t Tim’s place to make the sacrifice.

Matt loved the blond, but he was a proud man, and he needed to be the one to take care of his family. He just couldn’t let Tim bail him out.

He didn’t want the money to come between them either. It was like walking a damn tightrope, and while Matt wasn’t afraid of heights, he wasn’t too good at walking a fine line when it came to his stubborn male ego.

Chapter Twenty

Tim rolled over to see the bed was empty, though it wasn’t really a surprise. The weather had turned colder, so he knew Matt would want to check in with Danny regarding the herd. He heard the trucks out in the fields unloading the feed and round bales to feed the livestock located in the various pastures. Timhopped up from the bed and gingerly walked to the bathroom, feeling a little tenderdown there.

The previous night, their lovemaking had been more than unbelievable… tender, slow, exciting,climactic… everything Tim loved about those times when he and Matt were alone in their own, beautiful bubble of love.

Things had been perfect up until he told Matthew about the surprising windfall he’d been given over the weekend. Since they hadn’t really discussed it, Tim had no idea how the bull rider took the news, but he’d resolved to give it all away if it would cause problems in his relationship. In Matt and Ryan, Tim had everything he needed, and he didn’t need money he’d never counted on receiving in the first place.

He took a quick shower and after he was dressed, he went to Ryan’s room to wake him up for school. Once he was sure the boy was indeed awake, he told him, “I’ll get breakfast, and then we’ll go to the bus stop.” The little cowboy groggily nodded as he began removing his pajamas.

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